Laura
by Lara-Van
Summary: We always talk about the 'Ultimate Sacrifice'. So many heroes have given their lives to protect the world. But Laura Klein gave MORE than just her life, so much more. And yet no one remembers her! When she returns, how will she cope?
1. Losing Laura

A Note From Lara: I've been searching through fan fiction archives all over the internet, and I've noticed a certain deficiency. I have never, not once, found a story about or involving Moon Maiden. Laura Klein is more or less my idol, and when I realized how completely ignored she is as a character, I was absolutely outraged.

Everyone focuses so much on the more mainstream DC heroes, like Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash... And yet, there is, in my opinion, not a single character in either the DC _or_ Marvel universes, that has made a sacrifice of the same magnitude as Laura's.

Therefore, I'm going to bring Moon Maiden back to center stage. This is a kind of rewrite of her final battle with the Centurion and subsequent return. Enjoy!

Laura Klein, also known as 'Laurel' the Moon Maiden, smiled bitterly. The senior members of the Justice League had insisted that she remain in reserve for this battle, which was already being dubbed 'The Century War'. Ironic, as it had only lasted four days. _Only_, ha! Amazing how such things could change your perception.

She suspected Wonder Woman had something to do with her 'reserve' status. The Amazon had long had a soft spot for the young woman. They were so alike- the immortal woman born of clay on a mystic isle, and the strange girl created through alchemy on the moon.

But Laura wasn't a child any more. And no matter what Diana might say, no matter what they _all_ said about the Centurion having made this personal for everyone, this was her fight. But no, like fools, the more powerful members of the JLA rushed ahead, throwing themselves ineffectually at the Centurion. They'd never win.

Laura had begun having dreams lately, and she had an inkling of what they meant. They were linked, she and the Centurion. The Hundred had created them both. He had forsaken their ideals of goodness and life, and the Hundred had created her as a safeguard against his terrible evil. She was destined to be the end of the Centurion- if he could be stopped at all.

His powerful Erasure Weapon frightened her. All he had to do was aim, focus, and whoever was the object of his intent was... gone. Not simply dead, but completely erased from history. No memories of them, no past, as if they'd never existed.

She and she alone remembered those who were gone, and it was she who had alerted the rest of the League to the danger. Yet she was kept in the back, protected and shielded. It wasn't right.

Laura looked around, brushing her curly violet hair out of her eyes. She was standing on the edge of a tall cliff, about a mile away from the actual battle, which was taking place halfway between here and Keystone City.

Some of the newer members of the League were back here with her- Faith, Nightwing, Element Girl, and others. Even Supergirl was trapped back here, which surprised Laura. Normally the rash Krytonian was at the forefront of any battle.

Faith walked over to her. "How you holding up, Laurel?" she asked kindly. Laura pursed her lips for a moment. Most members of the Justice League succumbed easily to Faith's aura of peace, but the psychic effect didn't work so well on her. "Not so great," she muttered. "This is _my_ fight, but I'm being stuck back here."

Faith smiled wryly. "I know what you mean," the older woman said. "I've been with the League for almost six years, and I've been in a total of three fights." Laura nodded. "Yeah, I've heard. If they actually need you, it's really going badly," she said. Faith sighed. "Kind of sucks to be the JLA's big guns."

The two metahumans turned away from each other, staring out across the plain to where flashes of light signified the fight taking place.

Laura narrowed her eyes. If she really focused, she could just make out the dark form of the Centurion silhouetted against the cloudy sky. There were three or four figures surrounding him. She wasn't sure who all was on the front lines, but she was relatively certain that some of the more influential heroes had been kept in reserve- anyone in the thick of it was in danger of being erased.

Supergirl wandered over. "Man, this sucks," she said petulantly. Laura nodded, not looking at her. "So what's their reason for sticking you back here?" she asked absently, still intent on the fight in the distance. "They're claiming that this battle requires more tactics than most, that I'm too hasty," she said, kicking a pebble into orbit.

"Well, at least they've given you a reason," Laura said. Kara looked at her, and finally Laura looked back. Kara shivered faintly; the older girl's metallic irises were always faintly creepy to her. The rumor among the League was that when Moon Maiden's powers had manifested, her appearance had altered as well, hence the vibrant purple hair and silver eyes.

Suddenly, the Flash appeared in a cloud of dust. "Damn Barry, slow down before you blind us all!" Kara called good-naturedly. "Says the indestructible girl," Laura muttered. "You look like hell, Barry."

He nodded. The speedster was limping slightly, and the half of his face they could see beneath his mask was gray, haggard, and covered in stubble. "I _feel_ like hell," he said, and sighed almost inaudibly. He bit his lip and closed his eyes momentarily, then said hesitantly, "Faith... they need you. They can't beat him."

Kara gasped. "But... how is that possible? It's at least twenty to one!" Barry looked over his shoulder, back toward the battle. "I don't know... he's more powerful than the last time Laurel fought him. I just... don't know."

As Faith rose gently into the air on a platform of psychic energy, Kara narrowed her eyes. "They don't need Faith yet. There's always me." Laura grimaced. That was so typically Kryptonian, that 'I can do it myself' attitude. Her cousin was _exactly_ the same way.

Supergirl rose into the air, following Faith toward the battle. The Flash sighed, but he knew it was no use to argue with the teenager when she got focused like this. He turned to zip off again, when Laura put her hand on his shoulder. "Barry... how bad is it, really?" she asked. He smiled sadly. "Honestly? I have no idea. I think some people have been... deleted... but I can't- I have no way of knowing, do I?" Laura nodded sadly.

"Laurel... they won't like me telling you this, but honestly? This is making the battle with Doomsday look like child's play. This Centurion guy is absolutely... nuts. They don't want you out there, but I think we need you." Laura narrowed her eyes. "Why, and why?" she asked, referencing both statements. Barry rubbed his temples. "Honestly, not one of us has a chance of beating this guy. He's just too damn powerful. And... I think it's because of the link between you and the Centurion. Batman thinks that because you were created so closely, it might... influence your actions."

Laura gasped. "Does he really--? The nerve! The fucking nerve!" A boulder nearby imploded, as she channeled her um-bridge and fury into creating an intense anomaly in gravitational forces around it. "I can't believe he'd think that. And that the rest of them would go along with that asshole's paranoia! Look, Barry, thanks for telling me. And... I'm going in. I really doubt even Faith will be effectual against the Centurion. I'll take my shot at him, okay?"

The Flash nodded, disappearing in another puff of dust. She assumed that he was already back at the scene of the battle, telling somebody higher up what was going on. Laura closed her eyes.

After a moment, she had correctly adjusted her personal gravitational field. Her silver eyes popped open, her knees bent, and she rocketed into the sky faster than the human eye could see.

Thirty seconds later, she touched down in the front lines of the battle. She could see Supergirl fighting the Centurion one-on-one a short distance away. "What's the situation?" she asked J'onn J'onzz.

"Not good," he replied in his strange Martian accent. "I've seen the Erasure Weapon fire three times since the start of this battle. Obviously, I don't know who, but--" Laura nodded. "Any non-Erasure casualties?" she asked. The tall alien nodded. "Lots of minor injuries, non-life-threatening but enough to take them out of battle. Batman's unconscious, serious blow to the head. Zatanna's in critical condition, and Doctor Fate is dead." Laura sucked in her breath. It was even worse than she'd thought.

A badly bruised Superman and Wonder Woman stepped forward from the survivors of the furious battle to face her. "Laurel, you're not supposed to be here," Diana said, clearly upset. "I don't care!" Laura said. "People are dying, disappearing forever. I can't just _not_ do anything."

"No," Superman said gravely, in his commanding tone. "No, Laurel, we can't have you here. I don't necessarily agree, but Bru- Batman thinks that because of your close link with the Centurion--"

"Bullshit!" Laura burst out. She was sick of it, sick of being the baby of the Justice League, sick of being always coddled, kept in the back. She was a teenager, sure, but so was Supergirl. It was because she was the good girl, the model daughter, they all expected her to simply be their backup in case the real heavy hitters couldn't take it.

She raised her voice so that everyone "Bullshit, Boy Scout. You might be the all-powerful Last Son of Krypton, but judging by that shiner, you didn't do so well against the Centurion. Sure, I've got a link with him, but I'm not ruled by it. Look, the best of us are getting pummeled here. It looks like I might be the only one here who has a shot at beating him. Maybe it's the link of our creation that would let me defeat him."

There was deafening silence when she finished speaking. Not many people had the guts to speak up to Superman when he was being a headstrong idiot. Well Laura Klein might _look_ like a little sweetheart model daughter, but people had to stop judging by first impressions.

Suddenly, there was a smack, and Laura turned. The Centurion had backhanded Kara across the face. She flew backwards to land in a heap among her companions. "Supergirl!" cried various voices among the crowd. Even from where she was standing, Laura could see that she was unconscious and in poor condition. Her cousin hurried to her side.

Laura plunged ahead quickly, trying to finish her statement, trying to gather the courage, looking around at the crowd of superheroes in various states of disrepair. "Look, he can completely reverse everything any of us has ever done with little more than a thought. What if the next person he erases is Superman? He's saved the earth solo a million times and more. If he goes... the entire planet is _gone._ We can't let the Centurion's rampage continue. And not one of you has been able to finish this. So I will."

She took a deep breath, her silver eyes sad, but flashing with resolve. Laura knew what she had to do. This battle had raged for days now, still with no conclusion. She saw that there was only one way to end it. The Centurion could easily destroy the entire universe with a single blow, if he got a clear shot at Superman, or one of the Green Lanterns present. It had to end. Now.

Then, with a final sad look across her teammates, her friends, she turned, and leaped into the air. The Centurion had been diving toward the Justice League's delegation, evil intent clear on his face, but he pulled up short as she rocketed upward towards him. "So, little Laurel at last!" he said, chuckling to himself. "I was wondering how long it would take before they'd get desperate enough to pull you in."

Laura raised her chin, continuing her headlong flight upward. He would not get the best of her. She heard her teammates screams of "Moon Maiden, stop!" and "Laurel, no don't!", but she ignored them. There was nothing else to be done. It was up to her now.

"Come on little girl! Let's see what you got!" Centurion taunted her. Laura's silver eyes narrowed. He wanted a fight? Fine. He had one.

The maniacal villain lowered his weapon, aimed, focused his intent... but the shot never came. Laura crashed into him with all the force of all the gravitational pull she could muster. The shockwave caused by their impact cleared the sky of clouds for a mile in every direction.

The Centurion was momentarily stunned. It wasn't long, but it was all she needed. Seizing him by the hair, she dragged him skyward, high high above the earth. The air was getting thin. Finally, when she looked down, Keystone City was simply a tiny dot miles and miles beneath them.

The Centurion was struggling in her grasp. She wouldn't be able to restrain him for much longer. It would have to be quick, then. She closed her eyes.

Laura raced inward, reaching deeper into the processes of the Lunar Villa than she ever had before, reaching farther into the longest recesses of her consciousness that she hadn't even known existed. Somehow she found the power. It was there, inside her, waiting until this last moment to reveal itself.

Those startling silver eyes snapped open, and as the Centurion looked at her, he felt a twinge of something he had never experienced before- fear. Her eyes shone with the light of the full moon, and her entire body blazed with an inner light. She turned her brilliant gaze on his weapon- the deadly Erasure Weapon.

Gravity shifted. The earth spun a little slower, the moon halted in its orbit. The tides stopped, and the currents of the ocean froze in their paths. The air above Keystone warped and flexed with the tension of the massive amount of gravitational pressure Laura was exerting on that tool of evil.

Too late, the Centurion realized her intent. "No!" he screamed. But it was too late. The weapon exploded in a burst of brilliant silvery-white light, carrying away both him and the Moon Maiden in a single moment of deadly glory.

The sky was lit for a moment with a light brighter than the sun; then everything returned to normal- dark clouds, rain. The plain below was completely silent, and completely empty. The Centurion was gone. And so was Laura Klein, the Moon Maiden

The next day...

Hugh Klein sighed, and looked at the picture frame in his hands. The day before, the picture inside had showed him, his wife, and his adopted daughter Laura. But now it was simply himself and his wife.

Laura had sacrificed herself, her life, and all memory of her for the world. He knew it had had to be done, but... A single tear dripped from Hugh's eye. Laura had been everything to him since the Hundred had entrusted her to him on that fateful lunar mission.

And the worst of it all, he thought bitterly, was that he was the only one who even remembered her. She had been so special- intelligent and strong and brave- but not a single other person would ever remember her. In fact, she had never even existed. The explosion of the Erasure Weapon had completely removed both her and her mortal enemy from history.

The Justice League didn't know what had happened yesterday. The heroes that had been erased were returned now, with no memory of being gone. Doctor Fate was alive and well. There was nothing to indicate the massive battle that had raged just outside the city for days. Not even his wife remembered their adopted child.

Nothing remained of her. There was nothing left of her. Nothing but his memories. Memories of Laura...

A Note From Lara: Okay, I know this doesn't completely adhere to how the battle happened in the comics, but that's sort of the point- I'm rewriting some points. But then, how many of you comic book nerds (join the club, btw, we have T-shirts) actually even remember that particular post-crisis event? Not many, I'm betting.

This will be updated as soon as I can write the next chapter. I start school again in a few days though, so don't expect it to be quick... lol. And, as always, I'd really, REALLY appreciate some reviews. Tell me how sorry you are to have forgotten Laura, just like everyone else, tell me what you think of my interpretation... whatever you want to say...


	2. Resurrection

_The Moon._

_Justice League Headquarters._

_Two years later..._

High above the earth, in the Justice League watchtower on the moon, a martian was having trouble sleeping.

J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, last of his species, finally gave up the attempt to get a few hours of sleep, and left his small chamber. He walked the halls of the watchtower. Night and day was irrelevant on the moon, but for the Western Hemisphere back on earth, it was nighttime. Most of the other members of the League were either asleep, or dealing with various crimes and disasters around the world.

J'onn wandered across to where one wall of the watchtower was entirely reinforced glass. He gazed down at the earth. Suddenly, he became aware that he was not alone.

"Up at this hour, J'onn?" Zatanna Zatara asked, smiling. The martian shrugged. "I could not sleep," he said simply. "There is something... wrong. Something out of balance. I keep sensing it telepathically. This sense of something being off grows stronger by the day."

"You too, huh?" the little mage asked. J'onn looked at her strangely. "Well, it's just that all of the psychics and magically sensitive members of the League have been feeling kind of out of sorts for days."

Zatanna tapped her baton thoughtfully against the palm of her hand. "Maybe we should look into it," she mused.

J'onn nodded. "I have been having... dreams..." he said thoughtfully. "Always the same. I see a hellish place, full of flames..." He shuddered. "And a great wickedness, purely evil. But within, is trapped something good. Like a caged bird, something or perhaps some_one_ who has been sent to that place wrongly. Something beautiful and pure that is trapped in the wrong afterlife..."

"The wrong... _afterlife_, J'onn?" Zatanna asked sardonically. "The last time Leaguers got involved in matters of heaven and hell, we wound up with a universe-wide crisis on our hands. If you suspect that we're dealing with dead people here, maybe we should give this some thought before we--"

"No," J'onn said firmly. "The more I think about this, the more sure I become. We must act, and quickly."

Three hours later, Zatanna, the martian, and Doctor Fate were standing on the lunar surface. Zatanna was tracing magical lines in the chalky white sand with her baton, while Doctor Fate maintained a bubble of air around himself and the younger magician.

Finally, the signs inscribed in the dust were complete. "Now, Miss Zatara," Doctor Fate said, "If you would kindly take over maintenance of our mini-atmosphere, I will commence with the ritual."

Zatanna sighed. Fate's occult powers were more advanced than her own, and he never let her forget it. "Ria yats!" she commanded, waving her baton absently. Immediately, the protective bubble surrounding them changed from a crackling yellow-purple dome to a filmy gray haze.

Fate began his chant, both Zatanna and J'onn leaned in closely, fascinated. The lines Zatanna had traced in the soil began to glow with the same blend of yellow and violet power that had previously composed their bubble.

As Doctor Fate continued to intone Latin phrases, the color of the light changed. At first it was subtle. But Zatanna was gradually aware of the yellow leeching out of the script she had traced on the ground. When the lines of power were completely purple, a blaze of purest silver broke through the center of the sacred symbol and swept the violet light away.

The silver light rose up in a brilliant column, twisting across the airless surface of the moon. Faint recognition flickered somewhere deep in the back of J'onn's psyche.

Suddenly, a sickly ochre color invaded the shining air, and the silver was dragged back. "No!" Zatanna shouted, moved for reasons she didn't fully understand.

J'onn threw out his consciousness telepathically. Latching onto the flickering silver mind in the air, he clutched her consciousness, holding her there. "She's... trapped..." he muttered through gritted teeth. His knees buckled from the strain of holding the faintly struggling mind in reality.

She? wondered Zatanna. Who was it they were rescuing? All at once, both shades of light broke free of the lines on the ground and soared away from the lunar surface. Zatanna watched as the two colors separated and made distinct beelines for different areas of Earth.

"What the hell?" she asked, helping a stunned J'onn back to his feet. "I have no idea," he gasped. Doctor Fate sighed. "We have done the world a great service and a great evil today," he said. "Well _that's_ enigmatic," Zatanna said angrily. "How about you actually explain what you mean for once, Fate?" The older mystic shrugged, spread his arms in imitation of an ankh symbol, and disappeared.

_Hugh Klein looked up, disbelieving. It couldn't be; she was gone! But then, here she was, dressed in shining white robes, silver eyes flashing and violet hair tangled about her face as usual._

"_Laura?" he asked tentatively. The girl nodded. "They saved me. I don't know how they did it, but..." The girl trailed off as her adoptive father hugged her tightly._

Diana, princess of the Amazons, sighed. She hated playing at being the Justice League's secretary like this. Everyone had to take their turn, of course, but that didn't mean it was any less annoying. Nothing ever happened. Occasionally some new meta would apply for entrance into the Justice League, or there would be a problem finding someone to deal with a crisis, and she would actually get a chance to _do_ something. But for the most part, all she did was sit here feeling useless and staring at the bank of monitors.

Suddenly, Wonder Woman caught sight of a young woman, apparently in her late teens, approaching the desk where she sat. She was a strange-looking girl, but then, most members of the League were. However, something about her silver eyes and purple hair seemed oddly familiar. And the pure white robes she wore- so much like Diana's own ceremonial robes- seemed oddly familiar as well.

"Yes?" she said politely. The girl took a deep breath, and said, "Wonder Woman, I'd like to be readmitted to the League."

Diana narrowed her eyes. Readmitted? No matter how familiar this girl seemed, she was sure she'd never seen her before in her life. "Miss, I'm sorry, but to be readmitted, I think you have to have been a member before in the first place."

"I... Diana, it's _me_! It's Laurel! I'm back. Don't you remember me?" the girl said, obviously distressed.

A vague memory flashed through Diana's head; a brilliant light, brighter than the sun... But then it was gone. "I don't know you," she said apologetically.

Laura put a hand to her mouth. "Oh god. My dad _said_ that no one remembers me, but I thought... I thought that _you_ of all people would know me!" she whispered. Diana felt stunned at the shocked and hurt expression on the girl's face. What had happened to this poor child, that she was this hurt by a few simple words?

The girl rose into the air, soaring away down the corridor, tears flooding her eyes.

--

Yes, yes, I know this is a huge departure from how Laura was resurrected in the comics, but like I said, it's a REWRITE!! Anyway, I've always thought that there would be some kind of close friendship between Wonder Woman and Moon Maiden. Their origins are so similar...

Plus, I just like their names; Diana and Laura. Diana was SUPPOSED to be my name, and Laura was what my name actually wound up being... Not only that, but the meanings of the names- Laura meaning 'Lady of Victory', and Diana meaning 'the Divine One'... it just seems like even their names suggest they should be friends.

Wow, random digression from the actual topic here... Just comment, tell me what you think. I know it was a little brief, but I was going for kind of quick. Like, it's happening too quickly for anyone to really process what's going on. The whole emotional impact of the events will come in the next chapter...


	3. Adrift

**A Note From Lara: Okay, just a quick note before I get started. I'm using a phrase in here, 'pull a Jesus' in reference to comic characters coming back from the dead (which, as you know, happens on a regular basis). I just wanted to say that I am a Christian, and I do not mean this as an offense to Christians or our faith. Just a turn of phrase. I know I probably don't need to say this, because most people aren't that touchy, but some people might be offended, and I just wanted to head that off before it gets started. **

**Thanks for your understanding!**

Laura sighed. She was sitting on the roof of the Justice League headquarters, attempting to enjoy the pull of the vacuum the way she used to. She gazed out across the vast expanse of space, and then down again at Earth, then back at the stars.

The brilliant starry sky... so many people came from other worlds, came from out here. _She_ came from out here, in some sense. Here. Here on the Moon, here she'd been born. The Lunar Villa, the Hundred, the pale dust that covered the surface of the moon... All of it was a part of her. She'd been _made_ from this dust. She could feel the Villa singing to her from the Dark side of the Moon, could practically hear the Hundred rejoicing at her return. The entire satellite vibrated with a kind of senseless joy. No matter how people's memories might fade, the moon would always remember her. This was her place.

The beautiful planet Earth below her... pulsing, thriving with life. Everything was so vibrant. Color, and bright people. It was strange, after all. All the other superheroes, the other members of the JLA, they wore bright colors. Superman in his primaries, the Green Lanterns in (of course) green, the Flash in red. Even dark characters like Batman had splashes of eye-catching red or yellow or purple on them somewhere. Not her. She'd always worn silver. Just plain silver, like her eyes. And her hair was so pale that even it's unusual hue was barely noticeable. She was invisible down there. Earth used to be her place.

Everyone down there went about their lives, they had day-to-day concerns. They had friends and families and jobs and problems. Not her. She never could again. Because Laura Klein didn't exist. No birth certificate, no driver's license, no high school diploma. Not even a memory of Laura Klein remained. Moon Maiden might have returned, 'Laurel' might be back, but Laura was nothing more than a vague unease in the universe's collective unsconscious.

Laura hated Laurel. Laurel was real again. Laurel could go back to her job, could try to scrape together some semblance of a life. Even if no one remembered her, Moon Maiden had a shot at life. Laura was dead. No, worse than dead. She'd never existed in the first place.

There had been a time when she'd been the light of the Justice League. She'd made friends easily, everyone had loved her. Wonder Woman had seen her as a kindred spirit. Superman had considered her as much a little sister as he did his own cousin. Flash, Faith, Supergirl, Plastic Man, Firestorm, they'd all enjoyed her company, and even Batman had tolerated her, which was a miracle in and of itself. But now?

After her disastrous conversation with Wonder Woman, she'd fled through the halls of the headquarters, trying to find someone, _anyone_ who knew her. She spoke to so many people, faces she recognized. Not one of them knew her. All the ties she'd made... severed. Gone. Just like that.

It was so unfair. She'd won, hadn't she? She'd destroyed the Centurion, the Erasure Weapon. That could never happen again, and all those who had been erased were back. She knew- she'd seen Doctor Fate wandering around, certainly very much alive. She'd won. She'd saved the world.

So why was she the one who was paying for the Centurion's evil? He wasn't struggling to find his place in a world where no one knew him. It just wasn't right.

Laura tried to think back. She remembered the battle with the Centurion. She remembered her frustration at being kept in the back. The final moments, when she had discovered those spare reserves of power she'd never known. A brilliant flash of light. And then... nothing.

After that, she had felt the Centurion. Felt him all around, knew he was there. Somehow, they were tangled together, and she felt his thoughts, understood his anger. And then, pain. Fire and searing, burning pain. It was torture, and it went on and on...

For two full years, it seemed. She'd been gone two years. But something had changed. She'd been pulled back, returned to Earth by some mysterious force. She didn't know what it was, she didn't know how she'd returned. All she knew was that she was here. Her father had found her, lying curled up in the middle of the highway outside Keystone City. It was a miracle that it had been Hugh who had found her, rather than some unknowing stranger.

He'd warned her that it might be like this. Laura's own mother didn't remember her, there was little hope that anyone else would either. But she'd expected _something_. Maybe their memories of her were gone, but she'd hoped that maybe there would be something... subconscious... that would bring their memories back, with time. It didn't look like it.

In the two days since she'd first returned to the moon, she had only spoken to another living person once. She had given her official report to a blank-faced Hawkman, who had in turn explained J'onn J'onzz and Zatanna's attempt to save... something... from suffering in the wrong afterlife. The theory was that the rescued soul had, in fact, been her.

The rest of the time, Laura had spent holed up in the room temporarily assigned to her, pondering life and all it's unexpected curve balls. Finally, she had grown tired of staring at four steel walls, and came out here, out to the lunar surface to distract herself.

Laura kicked at the pile of white sand she'd brought up to the roof of the headquarters. It always made her feel better to have a little piece of the moon with her. She didn't know why. It was just the way it was.

All at once, she was aware that she was no longer alone. She looked up, pushing her violet hair away from her eyes. Supergirl dropped down next to her, her cape swirling in the sand.

Laura made a half-hearted attempt at a smile. The girl had really grown up in the two years since she'd been gone. Kara was now eighteen- Laura's own age. Although she'd changed little, she had a new aura of peace about her. Before, she'd been rash and confident, darting frantically from one thing to the next. The confidence was still there, and even by studying her, Laura could see that the bratty edge to her was still ever-present, but there was a subtle strength about her now that hadn't been there before.

"Hey," Supergirl said quietly. "Laurel, right?" "To civilians, I guess. I think I'd prefer just Laura, with my... with the League," Laura said with a sigh. "I mean, my secret identity never existed now, so why bother?"

Supergirl grinned. "Well, in that case, you're Laura, and I'm Kara." She extended her hand, which Laura shook tentatively. "We were friends once," she stated simply.

Kara nodded. "You seem... I don't know how to explain it, but it's like I know you, or knew you, or saw you before, or... something. It's weird."

"What isn't?" Laura muttered, and Kara snorted.

"I know. When did we lose control? I mean, my cousin 'comes out of the closet' on the whole alien deal, and next thing you know, there's like a billion metas running around with him and random psychos trash the planet on a regular basis. People pull a Jesus on an almost daily basis... I mean I've been dead... god, going on three times now!" Kara exclaimed.

Laura smiled. "Well, this is my first time being... wait, does this mean I'm Undead?"

Kara laughed. "I don't really think so. But it's food for thought, isn't it? So... maybe it's not exactly sensitive of me to ask but... oh what the hell. How exactly did you die in the first place?"

"It's a long story. Basically, there was this guy, the Centurion. He and I were linked, he was a psycho nut-job, used some kind of weapon that totally erased people from history. As in, they never existed. Nobody could beat him... so I took him up into the upper atmosphere and blew up his weapon. Maybe an exit strategy was called for, but there really wasn't time for it," Laura explained, beginning to sink back into melancholy.

Perhaps Kara sensed this, because she said, "Yeah. That sucks. I remember the first time I kicked the bucket. Not fun. Not fun at all. Hey, listen... Laura?"

"Yeah?"

"Me and some of the younger Leaguers are... well, we're heading down to Edge City tonight. Zatanna tipped us off that the nightlife is _killer_. And I haven't been to a decent party since before Krypton... well. Anyway, it's gonna be me, Nightwing, Firestorm, Bart Scarlet, Batgirl... all kinds of people. You want to come with us?" Kara asked.

Laura considered. She didn't feel like partying; it had never really been her thing, and with the state her life was in right now... But then again, that was exactly the problem. She had no friends, no enemies. She was a virtual unknown. Maybe spending some time with some of her former friends would be good for her.

"Sure," she said, standing up and joining Kara as they returned inside.

**Well, that's it! That's all folks! Laura was alive, then she was dead... then she was alive, then she was terminally depressed. Or not. Although this is TOTALLY different from how it occurred in the comics, I liked the whole Supergirl-Moon Maiden friendship as much as I like the older-sibling potential for a friendship between WW and MM. And Kara has such a bright, rebellious personality, an excellent compliment to Laura's more serious nature, she seems like just the right person to cheer Laura up. (Plus, you know, my total obsession with the House of El won't let me write a fic without one of them at least mentioned.)**

**The tone of this chapter changed a lot over the course of writing it. It seemed pretty angsty to me at the beginning, so I decided to lighten it up a little. Hence the self-mocking discussion of random resurrection in the DCU. Let's face it folks, it happens way too often (not that I'm complaining, of course! Hooray for Barry Allen's return!)**

**I have a sequel planned for this- because the idea of teenage superheroes going clubbing is way too good an idea to miss! But don't expect it to be up for awhile, I have too many fics that need wrapping up to start ANOTHER one.**


End file.
